Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-03-10
Death of Henry Ward Beecher.

Henry Ward Beecher, the distinguish
ed pastorof Plyu outh church, Brooklyn,
n. Y, suffered an attack of apoplexy on
last Friday morning, from which time
he lay in a helpless, and for the most
part, unconcious condition until 8 80 on
Tuesday morning, when he passed
peaceably away. Mr. Beecher's career
has been a remarkable one. He was the
foremost divine of bis time and bis
influence was as far reaching as that OF
any other man of this age. His funeral
takes place today, Thursday. Below is a
brief sketch of his life:
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was born
at Litch6eld, Conn, June "a, 1913. He
graduated at Amherst College in 1884,
and studied theology at Lane Seminary,
Cincinnati. In 1887 he became pastor
of PRESBYTERIAN church at Lawrence
burg, and in 1899, at Indianapolis, Ind.
In IS47 he received a call from the Ply
mouth church. new Congregational
church, in Brooklyn, n. Y. Here,
almost from the outset, he began TO ac>
quire that reputation as pulpit orator
which has been maintained and increas-
ed during quarter or a century. The
church and congregation under his
charge are probably the largest in Amer
ica He has always discarded the mere
conventionalities of the clerical profess
sion. In his view humor has place in
his sermon as well as argument and
exhortation. He was fon of illustration,
drawing his material from every sphere
of human life and thought, and his
manner is highly dramatic. Though
his keen sense of humor continually
manifests itself, the prevailing impress
sion given by his discOurses is one of
intense earneSLness. The cardinal idea
of his creed is that Christianity is not
series of philosophical or metaphysical
0ogmas, but a rule of life in every phase.
Hence he has never hesitated to discuss
from the pulpit the great social and POI
litical questions of the day, such as slav-
cry, intemperance, licentiousness, the
lust for power and the greed for gain.
He is an enthusiast in music, a connois-
seur in art, lover of flowers and ani
mails. Apart from his purely profes
sional labors. he is popular lecturer in
Iyceums, and orator at public meetings.
Before beginning to preach he edited
for year ClS36) a newspaper, the Cin>
ciDnati Journal, and while pastor at
Indianapolis an agricultural journal, his
contributions to which were alter wards
published under the title, Fruit, Flows
ers and Farming" For nearly twenty
years be was au editorial contributor to
the Independent, a weekly Journal pub
lished in New York, and from 1861 to
1863 its editor; his contributions to this
were signed with :. and many of them
were collected and published as The
Star Papers" Since 1870 be had been
editor of the Christian Union, weekly
newspaper published in New York.
His sermons and writings have had
wide circulation in newspapers, period>
icals and in book form. Besides the
well-known volumes of his sermons he
has published: Lectures to Young
Men, INDUSTRY and Idleness; Life
Thoughts two series edited by Edna
Dean Proctor and Augusta Moore; 'Ser>
mons on Liberty & War; The Plymouth
Collections of Hymns and Tunes Nor
wood novel, originally published in
the New York Ledger, to which be was
constant contributor; Sermons from
published and unpublished discourses; :
Life of Christ and Yale Lectures on
Preaching In 1868 he visited Great
Britain with special view 10 disabuSe
the public in regard to the issues in our
civil war. His speeches exerted wide
influence in changing public sentiment.
which had been strongly in favor of
Southern Confederacy. They were pub
lished in London, but have not been re
printed in America.
Intense interest was shown when, in
1875, he was tried for alternating the af
fections of the wife of Theodore Tilton.
The jury were unable to agree Oh a
verdict, the majority inclining to acquit
him. Since then, his influence can hard
ly be said to have suffered, and the fidel
ity of his congregation is mistaken.
Although in receipt of an income
probably as large as that of the Presi-
dent of theUnited States, Mr. Beecher was
not a rich man. His charity, which was
always inclined to be on the quiet. is
we'll known. His main possessions con-
ssts of his valuable library and an
excellent farm at Peekskill, N. Y. His
wife, charming old lady, eXerts no
small influence in her large circle of
admiring friends. His sons seem to
have inherited their fathers good quail
ties. but have chosen mercantile life in
which to achieve their success.
He became a member of the Republi
can party on its formation, and was an
energetic and valuable worker. both
with his pen and in speaking. In 1884
Mr. Beecher supported the Democratic
candidate for the Presidency. In the
long conflict with slavery he was an
early and earnest worker, and from his
pulpit came many of the severest denun-
Citations of human chattelhOod eI er
uttered before a public assembly.